# Trackers vs. Media Servers

Trackers and media servers solve different problems. Do not treat them as interchangeable.

### Trackers

Trackers include Trakt, SIMKL, MDBList ,etc.

Best for:

* A portable watch history across devices.
* Ratings and recommendations.
* Watchlists that outlive any single server.
* One profile across multiple servers.

### Media servers

Media servers include Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby.

Best for:

* Scanning files and building a playable library.
* Streaming to your devices.
* Local users and profiles.
* Playback state for what actually played.

### Recommended direction: media server -> tracker

This is the safest default.

Reasons:

* The server knows what actually played.
* The tracker turns it into portable history.
* Multiple servers still roll up into one tracker profile.
* Server ratings can feed the tracker ecosystem.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you must pick a source of truth, do this:

* Media server for playback.
* Tracker for long-term history and discovery.
  {% endhint %}

### When to sync tracker to media server

Do this only when you know the risks. It can overwrite local users and curated libraries.

Common reasons:

* You only use the server as a playback surface.
* Your tracker is the only place you edit lists and ratings.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Trackers often (if not always) contain more items than your media server library.

If you sync **tracker -> media server**, expect unresolved items when the target server does not already have those items in its library.

For history and ratings, the rule is simple: the item must already exist in your library before the server can store that data reliably.

The main exception is **Plex watchlists**. Plex watchlists use Plex's cloud service, so they can include items that are not in your local library yet.
{% endhint %}

### Related topics

* [Best practices](/getting-started/best-practices.md) - recommended defaults.
* [Syncing](/getting-started/first-time-setup/what-do-you-need/syncing.md) - setup steps.
* [Tracker to Media Server](/related-information/tracker-to-media-server.md) - why it is risky.
* [Media Server to Media Server](/related-information/media-server-to-media-server.md) - why it is fragile.


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